September 11 Commemorated in New York and Washington: Photos

Today marks the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Ceremonies were held in New York City and Washington, D.C., to commemorate the tragic events and remember those who died.

In New York, family members and first responders gathered, along with hundreds of onlookers there to show support. The ceremony began with a moment of silence and the tolling of bells to mark when the first tower was struck.

Following that, as has been done every year since 2002, relatives read the names of each of the 2,753 victims who perished that day in lower Manhattan. Some readers added comments, reminding listeners how the country united following the devastation.

"Our country came together that day," said Magaly Lemagne, whose brother, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Officer David Prudencio Lemagne, died on September 11. "And it did not matter what color you were, or where you were from."

She later asked people to "stop for a moment and remember all the people who gave their lives that day. Maybe then we can put away our disagreements and become one country again."

At the White House, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump observed a moment of silence. They then drove over to the Pentagon, where American Airlines flight 77 crashed and killed 125 workers and everyone onboard the plane, 184 people altogether.

“The horror and anguish of that dark day were seared into our national memory forever,” Trump said at the Pentagon, during his first speech commemorating the events as the leader of the country. “It was the worst attack on our country since Pearl Harbor and even worse because this was an attack on civilians — innocent men, women and children whose lives were taken so needlessly.”

Below is a collection of images taken earlier today at various sites around the country: